Good time to make TBHs

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Good time to make TBHs

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Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 15 6:50 pm Post subject: Good time to make TBHs

Reading tai haku's post in the poultry section made me realise that now is the best time to put the woodwork together for future expansion of the apiary.
Plans available free online & little woodworking skills required (For top bar hives).
If made now & doctored with some old brood wax & lemongrass early scout bees will investigate & increase the odds of free bees, although I think a smaller bait hive in a tree or on the shed roof would work better for swarm capture.

tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Sun Jan 11, 15 4:12 pm Post subject:
ironically that was something I was also planning to knock up in due course. Having said that there are loads of plans online; is there anything you'd particularly recommend for bait hive purposes?- I've seen a fair few and am still slightly unsure of what is ideal for a bait hive in the UK.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15455
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Jan 11, 15 4:20 pm Post subject:

tai haku wrote:

Having said that there are loads of plans online...

Are there loads, or is it the same one recycled many times?
I've not done a great search, but all the ones I've seen link back to the same one.

If there are several, do we have any opinion as to which is best?

tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Mon Jan 12, 15 9:27 am Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

tai haku wrote:

Having said that there are loads of plans online...

I've seen a few different TBH plans which are all very similar but there seem to be differences as regards dimension and placing of entries/exits both of which I imagine could be quite key. I imagine all will work but some may work better than others.

As for trap hive designs I've seen many seem to be more "I had this laying around and so used/modified it" and less "this is perfect" which given I have none of the stuff laying around in any event is not ideal.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 15 2:53 pm Post subject:

tai haku wrote:

ironically that was something I was also planning to knock up in due course. Having said that there are loads of plans online; is there anything you'd particularly recommend for bait hive purposes?- I've seen a fair few and am still slightly unsure of what is ideal for a bait hive in the UK.

If you google 'Tom Seeley bait hives for honey bees' there's a great PDF with loads of info.
Type is unimportant, volume, size of entrance & siting far more.
Although I personally think one that accepts bars or frames the same as you use in your main hives makes transfer a whole lot easier.

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